Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

The module will cover the key molecules involved in metabolism, cell division and protein expression within the human body, showing the relationships between these processes and the key differences in distinct tissues. The important role of enzymes in the control of biochemical pathways will be introduced, as will a basic introduction to cell signalling. Cellular organisation within different tissues will also be outlined, enabling students to recognise links between structure and function.

Seven basic clinical skills:
• Basic lifesaving skills
• Infection control
• Aseptic technique
• Hand washing
• Measurement of Temperature, pulse and respiration
• Measurement of blood pressure
• Urine analysis
Communication in clinical practice will be a topic covered both theoretically as an important aspect of clinical skill, and as a component of the practical sessions.
Introductory lectures will include necessary theoretical aspects of physiology and infection control to underpin the practical techniques. A lecture session on reflective writing will also be included to prepare students for the assessment. Further lecture sessions will take place in conjunction with the practicals to further explore issues of purpose, safety, recording and interpretation of measurements.

The module consits of 10 x 3 hour practicals and three hospital visits and is designed to familiarise students with the basic set of techniques that are used in molecular biology and the biomedical sciences.

The aim of this module is to provide the students with basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and histology of humans in health. The course introduces the stduents to the development of the human body, and looks in more detail at vaious body systems including; circulatory, respiratoruy, digestive, endocrine, renal, nervous, reproductive and musculo-skeletal systems, with tissues and organs observed both macroscopically and microscopically.

The taxonomic study of some bacteria, fungi and viruses, together with structural characteristics, metabolic diversities, microbial growth dynamics and microbial involvement in human disease. The moduel will also consider the diversity of fungi and viruses.

Semester 2

The module will cover the key molecules involved in metabolism, cell division and protein expression within the human body, showing the relationships between these processes and the key differences in distinct tissues. The important role of enzymes in the control of biochemical pathways will be introduced, as will a basic introduction to cell signalling. Cellular organisation within different tissues will also be outlined, enabling students to recognise links between structure and function.

This foundation course will introduce the historical development of medicines to the students, taking them through the use of plants as medicine to todays developed drugs through clinical trials. Skills in identifying appropriate medication use including the effect of the prescribed drug on other organs. The module will introduce disease management and how drugs work on the body. The course will link the anatomy and physiology courses to the students understanding of how the body works and reacts to stimuli.

The module consits of 10 x 3 hour practicals and three hospital visits and is designed to familiarise students with the basic set of techniques that are used in molecular biology and the biomedical sciences.

The aim of this module is to provide the students with basic knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and histology of humans in health. The course introduces the stduents to the development of the human body, and looks in more detail at vaious body systems including; circulatory, respiratoruy, digestive, endocrine, renal, nervous, reproductive and musculo-skeletal systems, with tissues and organs observed both macroscopically and microscopically.

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

This module describes the structure and function of the human immune system and its role in health and disease. The innate and adaptive immune responses are discussed, the type of cells involved and how they interact; these include T and B cells, natural killer cells, macrophages, polymorphs and dendritic cells. The structure and function of lymphoid organs is explained, including the ontogeny and migration routes of cells of the immune system. The receptor and signal mechanisms of the immune response are detailed; these include the structure and function of different HLA molecules immunoglobulin classes, roles of soluble molecules including cytokines and the complement system. Clinical aspects of the immune response will be examined in diseases such as allergies, infections, autoimmune disorders and immunodeficiency states. During the module relevant techniques in immunology will be discussed, the role of the laboratory in diagnosis/monitoring of disease and consolidated with laboratory practical/demonstration sessions.

Investigations on blood and other biological materials to aid the diagnosis of metabolic diseases, and monitoring of therapy. Topics to include Diabetes, Liver function and Clinical Endocrinology. Practical work will include an introduction to the investigative laboratory methods used in Clinical Biochemistry.

This module introduces a variety of transferable and subject specific skills important in personal development, career opportunities, information retrieval and presentation. Students will be working in groups to investigate and successfully prepare and present acquired information on selected human diseases, with particular focus placed on laboratory diagnosis. Career opportunities in NHS and Pharmaceutical industries plus details Certificate of Competence Registration Portfolio and professional practice of Biomedical Scientists, role of Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and Health Professions Council (HPC) will be presented, and CV writing, interview technique etc will be discussed.

This module takes students on a journey through the eukaryotic cell. Students will follow cells through their life cycle starting from early development to ageing and death. Students will also learn how the general blue print of eukaryotic cells evolved to deliver specific functions, and how it changes in different human disorders.
Topics:
Plasma membrane
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Endoplasmatic Reticulum & Golgi
Lysosome & Peroxisome
Vesicles
Mitochondrium & Chloroblast
Centrosome
Extracellular Matrix
Inter-cell communication
Cell fate determination
Cell types
Students obtain marks for an in-class assessment (50%; problem solving, not essay-based) and for a 2 hour essay exam (50%; the exam consists of two essays: students are allowed to prepare one topic [notes are not permitted in the examination room], the second topic is unseen and based on the lecture material).
Students will get guidance on essay writing.

Semester 2

This module introduces a variety of transferable and subject specific skills important in personal development, career opportunities, information retrieval and presentation. Students will be working in groups to investigate and successfully prepare and present acquired information on selected human diseases, with particular focus placed on laboratory diagnosis. Career opportunities in NHS and Pharmaceutical industries plus details Certificate of Competence Registration Portfolio and professional practice of Biomedical Scientists, role of Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and Health Professions Council (HPC) will be presented, and CV writing, interview technique etc will be discussed.

The study of some major groups of bacteria and parasites of importance in human infection. Understanding of the key concepts used in investigating and diagnosing infections in the Medical Microbiology laboratory.

This module takes students on a journey through the eukaryotic cell. Students will follow cells through their life cycle starting from early development to ageing and death. Students will also learn how the general blue print of eukaryotic cells evolved to deliver specific functions, and how it changes in different human disorders.
Topics:
Plasma membrane
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Endoplasmatic Reticulum & Golgi
Lysosome & Peroxisome
Vesicles
Mitochondrium & Chloroblast
Centrosome
Extracellular Matrix
Inter-cell communication
Cell fate determination
Cell types
Students obtain marks for an in-class assessment (50%; problem solving, not essay-based) and for a 2 hour essay exam (50%; the exam consists of two essays: students are allowed to prepare one topic [notes are not permitted in the examination room], the second topic is unseen and based on the lecture material).
Students will get guidance on essay writing.

Genomic instability, either inherited or acquired, drives many human disorders. But how do we know about this?
This module introduces students to the concepts of scientific work and publishing by analysing three break-through publications which deepened our understanding of genetic aberrations and their link with disease development. Each paper will be introduced in five lectures and the content will be discussed by the students either as an `author` or `reviewer` thus justifying or scrutinising the scientific conclusions. Two practical sessions are attached to each of the three lecture units in which students conduct experimental work described in the publications.
Students will get formative feedback on the first assignment by the lecturer and their peers. The following assignments will be marked. The content of each publication has to be summarised in a `News & Views` article directed towards an educated lay audience. The practical work has to be recorded in a research report.

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

The third year research project allows students to gain personal experience of the approach, practice and evaluation of scientific research. The experimental work is embedded in ongoing cutting-edge research programmes supervised by an experienced scientist. The findings of the work will be presented in the form of a scientific manuscript and orally communicated to a wider audience. Marks will be allocated for the manuscript, oral presentation, leadership of the project and laboratory notebook. External research projects are possible and the contribution to scientific publications is encouraged.

An excellent student should be able to demonstrate the skills necessary for self-managed and lifelong learning (working independently, time management and organisation) and have a detailed in depth knowledge of all aspects of the module. Written answers should have an extremely high standard of presentation, structure and clarity with a very well argued coverage of accurate and relevant information. In practicals, the student in addition to demonstrating critical appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the experimental procedure and their theoretical background and obtain and interpret high-quality results must show extensive background reading of current relevant information.

This module will discuss common diseases of selected organ systems through the use of case studies. Student will be expected to work effectively in groups in order to diagnose patients and discuss the various aspects of the case pathologies (i.e. aetiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, screening and prognosis). Critical appraisal of literature relevant to case studies will be required, and development of oral and written presentation skills.

This course will cover broad aspects of genetics which relate to medical technologies and diagnostics. It will cover relevant areas of both microbial genetics and human genetics. This will provide the students with a good basis in understanding how the genetic systems of microbes can cause diseases and other clinically relevant problems, such as antibiotic resistance. Moreover, it will provide the basis for the understanding of how new antimicrobial agents might be generated through an understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing microbial genome dynamics. It will give the students an excellent grounding in human genomics and the new technology developments in human genomics which are leading to medical treatments and screening programmes based on the genetic makeup of individual genome profiles. In addition the students will be given experience in case studies of specific non-cancerous human genetic diseases and will employ a self learning exercise to get a deep understanding of the molecular and genetic basis for the aetiology of human genetic disorders.
Specific areas covered are:
(i) human molecular genetics in medicine; (ii) Post genomics and personalised genetics in medicine; (iii) microbial genetics and the relevance to medicine; (iv) case studies into specific human genetic disorders.

Drug Development teaches students about (i) drug-body interactions (pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics), (ii) the preclinical and (iii) the clinical development of drugs.
The module uses case studies to explain how drugs are developed from bench to bedside. Examples are selected from a broad range of drugs including antibiotics, plant-derived products, kinase & metalloprotease inhibitors, antibodies and the `immune system`.
Students obtain marks for one in-class assessment (problem-solving, not essay based) (50%) and a final exam consisting of 2 guided essays on topics selected from the lectures (50%).

This module aims to provide an understanding of infectious disease micropathology, at the level of molecules and cells. Students will have an underpinning knowledge of normal cellular processes, such as DNA replication and apoptosis from earlier modules and here we will introduce examples of infectious disease-causing mechanisms. Topics will be grouped by specific body systems (including urinary tract, respiratory tract and liver) to encourage students to synthesise learning across different disciplines and begin to recognise disease mechanisms within a systems approach. The effect of a variety of common pathogens on normal cellular processes and the response by the innate and adaptive immune system will be discussed. There will also be significant use of relevant current journal articles and in depth review sessions to facilitate skills of critical analysis. The presentation of a synopsis of a piece of current research will form part of the module assessment.

Semester 2

The third year research project allows students to gain personal experience of the approach, practice and evaluation of scientific research. The experimental work is embedded in ongoing cutting-edge research programmes supervised by an experienced scientist. The findings of the work will be presented in the form of a scientific manuscript and orally communicated to a wider audience. Marks will be allocated for the manuscript, oral presentation, leadership of the project and laboratory notebook. External research projects are possible and the contribution to scientific publications is encouraged.

This module will provide in-depth information on the development and application of analytical techniques used in clinical biochemistry for diagnosis, monitoring and to detect complications of disease. The metabolic and clinical aspects of disease, selection of appropriate investigations and interpretation of results are discussed. Subject areas include physiology and pathophysiology of body water and electrolyte balance; laboratory investigation of renal function; acid-base homeostasis including interpretation of results in various metabolic and respiratory disorders; disorders of calcium and bone metabolism; disorders of lipid metabolism and clinical significance; investigating endocrine disease; diagnostic use of enzymes; techniques for therapeutic drug monitoring and screening for drugs of abuse and the impact of new technology and automation and how it might influence the role of the laboratory in the future.

This module aims to provide an understanding of infectious disease micropathology, at the level of molecules and cells. Students will have an underpinning knowledge of normal cellular processes, such as DNA replication and apoptosis from earlier modules and here we will introduce examples of infectious disease-causing mechanisms. Topics will be grouped by specific body systems (including urinary tract, respiratory tract and liver) to encourage students to synthesise learning across different disciplines and begin to recognise disease mechanisms within a systems approach. The effect of a variety of common pathogens on normal cellular processes and the response by the innate and adaptive immune system will be discussed. There will also be significant use of relevant current journal articles and in depth review sessions to facilitate skills of critical analysis. The presentation of a synopsis of a piece of current research will form part of the module assessment.

Compulsory Modules

Semester 1

The purpose of research and research design
Investigate methods of collecting data.
Measurement of data including reliability, validity and scale development
Quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis.
Reporting research findings and ethical considerations

Semester 2

The purpose of research and research design
Investigate methods of collecting data.
Measurement of data including reliability, validity and scale development
Quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis.
Reporting research findings and ethical considerations

Optional Modules

30 credits from:

Haematology is the study of normal blood cell development, structure and function and how they are disturbed in disease. This module will enhance the knowledge and skills gained in Yr2 Haematology, BSX2012, by developing the principles and use of techniques routinely employed in the investigation of patients with blood diseases. Clinical significance of results and the role of the laboratory in disease diagnosis and management are discussed.

Immunolcytochemistry (ICC): the importance of stabilisation and preparatory procedures, knowledge and use of the various visualisation methods available. Diagnostic uses of ICC in histopathology. Principles and methodology of in-situ hybridisation histochemistry and its diagnostic uses. Principles and uses of autoradiography. Introduction to the identification of the major cell types in gynaecological cytology. Methods used in fertiligy and non-gynaecological cytology. Selected key areas of diagnostic histopathology.